Many Canadians are dealing with chronic pain and it is having an adverse effect on their quality of life.
A new public opinion survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that 34 per cent of Canadian adults are currently experiencing pain that has lasted longer than three months. That pain is considered significant by 22 per cent of respondents, who have indicated it impacts their lives emotionally and physically.
In fact, 83 per cent of Canadians say that ongoing pain prevents them from participating in regular activities and 57 per cent say it contributes to anxiety and depression.
Seventy-six per cent of respondents say they have experienced ongoing pain for more than three years while 29 per cent say the pain has lasted more than a decade.
Access to pain treatment is an ongoing concern. Whether respondents experience ongoing pain or not, there is a great deal of support for policy changes that would address this issue. Specifically, 89 per cent of those surveyed say governments should look into increasing subsidies for treatments and 88 per cent want the number of treatments covered under public health care to increase. Ninety-two per cent of Canadians say those living with pain should have access to helpful pain treatment, regardless of income.
The opioid epidemic is making pain relief harder for Canadians; 17 per cent say they avoid using opioids entirely and 37 per cent say they have had trouble accessing these drugs because of concerns of addiction and abuse.
The pain treatment that is considered most effective appears to cannabis, with 74 per cent of those using it to treat their pain indicating its effectiveness. Over-the-counter medications were ranked as just 38 per cent effective.
The full report is available on the Angus Reid website.
